Fifa backs down and allow England players to wear poppies on black armband against Spain

The England players will be allowed to wear poppies on their black armbands
for this Saturday’s prestige friendly against Spain after Fifa last night
reached a surprising compromise with the Football Association.

Climbdown: England will be allowed to wear poppies at Wembley Photo: ACTION IMAGES

After a day of extraordinary interventions, including both Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron writing to Fifa asking that the players’ shirts be embroidered with poppies, world football’s governing body relented on its previously unshakeable stance.

Up until then Fifa had made clear, despite protestations from the FA, that it considered placing a poppy on a player’s shirt as contravening its rules banning political, religious and commercial messages.

It is understood that despite the high-level interventions - the Duke of Cambridge is also president of the FA and wrote in that capacity - it was a discussion between Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris and Fifa general secretary Jérôme Valcke that helped broker a deal.

Heaton-Harris is a relatively new MP, elected to the Daventry seat last year, and was previously a member of the European Parliament, where he struck up an acquaintance with Valcke, who has been handling the issue for Fifa.

Heaton-Harris was previously president of the Sports Intergroup, a group of 40 MEPs who have an interest in sport. It is believed it was his suggestion to allow the poppies on the armbands with Valcke then authorising the move.

On Tuesday, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson wrote to Fifa seeking permission for the England and Wales teams to wear poppies which had the backing of Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce, who had called for “common sense” on the highly-emotive matter which had grown into a bitter row in recent days.

It is understood that after Fifa’s decision to relent and allow players to have poppies for the match - although still not on their shirts — the Football Association of Wales is now considering its position ahead of Wales’ game against Norway.

Given the FAW had supported the FA’s stance they are likely to follow suit. Scotland, who face Cyprus in a friendly on Friday, will also wear poppy-emblazoned training tops and will also consider whether to go further.

Last night the FA released a statement welcoming Fifa’s change of heart. “While continuing to adhere to the Laws of the Game, wearing the poppy on the armband does ensure the poppy is visible throughout the game. The FA welcomes FIFA’s

decision and thanks them for agreeing to this.” Earlier in the day, there had been angry responses, with Clarence House confirming that Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, was “dismayed” by Fifa’s initial refusal.

“The Duke’s strong view is that the poppy is a universal symbol of remembrance which has no political, religious or commercial connotations.”

As pressure increased on Fifa, with a bizarre roof-top protest at their Zurich headquarters by two members of the English Defence League, Cameron had said he would write to Fifa asking them to lift their ban.

“It seems outrageous, I hope Fifa will reconsider,” he said. “This is not an issue of left or right or Labour or Conservative. We all wear the poppy with pride, even if we don’t approve of the wars people were fighting in ... to honour the fact that these people sacrificed their lives for us.

“It’s absolutely vital for Fifa to understand that and I think a clear message going out of this House [of Commons] and from this Government can make them think again.”

Cameron added during Prime Minister’s Questions that he would urge all national bodies, including the FA, to take a strong line on the ruling.

The FA subsequently issued a list of 12 other ways in which supporters and players could mark the day, including the wearing of the armbands and poppies being sold inside Wembley. Other measures included laying a wreath on the pitch during the national anthems with the players wearing poppy-embossed jackets.

England will also wear poppies on their training kit and will stand for a two-minute silence during training at Wembley on Friday which will be broadcast live. Fifa has allowed a period of silence to be held prior to the game against Spain, which takes place the day before Remembrance Sunday.

The relevant Fifa statute - under Law 4 of the game - had stated that “the basic compulsory equipment must not have political, religious or personal statements”.

Privately Fifa accepted that the poppy was non-political and inoffensive but, in theory, referee Franck de Bleeckere could have instructed the players to leave the field if the kit had contravened the rules which is why the FA could not follow demands from some quarters to ignore Fifa’s original stance.

Last week Fifa wrote to the FA asking why they wanted the team to wear poppies now, having not requested to do so previously — and most notably the friendly in Geneva against Argentina that took place on Nov 12 2005. But an FA spokesman said “a greater focus has been given to the level of support and respect shown by the national teams” over the past five years.

He said: “Since 2005, our clubs have all begun to wear poppies on their match shirts in domestic games for the early part of November as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives serving their country.”

England and Wales rugby league players will be wearing poppies this weekend, along with the other two teams - Australia and New Zealand – involved in the Four Nations.